Air quality alerts from wildfire smoke and extreme heat are impacting the Montreal area.
As of this morning, Montreal is among 10 cities in the world with the most polluted air according to IQAir.
Montreal is listed as the sixth most polluted major city in the world on IQAir’s live global index, ranked behind Jakarta, Kolkata, Shanghai, and New Delhi—places more commonly associated with poor air quality.
Only 5 cities currently have air quality that’s worse than Montreal: Manama (Bahrain), Kinshasa (DR Congo), Santiago (Chile), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Dhaka (Bangladesh).
Toronto also ranked among the top 15 most polluted cities, while Vancouver reported one of the world’s cleanest air quality scores.
Southern Quebec is also under a special weather statement from Environment Canada regarding poor air quality. A heat warning has been added for the Outaouais, Greater Montreal, Lanaudière, Montérégie, Estrie, the Quebec City region, and Mauricie.
The heat warning comes after a torrential rainstorm dumped over 150 mm of rain on Montreal, breaking an all-time daily rainfall record.
Why is Montreal so smoggy?
According to a special weather statement from Environment Canada, today’s surge in pollution is primarily due to wildfire smoke drifting in from the Canadian Prairies.
Visibility is reduced, and air quality is classified as “unhealthy” for the general public—particularly for those with respiratory or chronic illnesses, seniors, young children, and outdoor workers.
Environment Canada is advising residents of the Montreal Island area to limit outdoor activity, keep windows closed, and use air purifiers or wear certified N95 masks if going outside is necessary.
The federal alert also recommends checking in on vulnerable neighbours and staying informed through local air quality updates.
What city has the cleanest air quality?
Canberra, Australia, is listed as having the cleanest air according to IQAir.
For more information about IQAir's live most polluted major city ranking, click here.
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